Life As We Know It
by Love.Me.Today
Summary: Brooke gets tragic news that causes her to return to Tree Hill, eventual Brucas
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Basically this chapter is a glimpse into Brooke's life and how Tree Hill is her past. Or at least she thinks it is...**

**Chapter One**

**I'm Just A Girl**

_**Ring. Beep. "Brooke?" **_**She groaned softly and lifted her head off of her desk. She looked up to see Millicent her personal assistant and all around pain in the ass staring down at her. **

"**Hey! You are awake! Good I have these contracts that need to be signed sealed and delivered by tonight, and this is copy of what your magazine B. Davis will look like? Amazing huh?" she informed Brooke without ever losing her grin or catching a breathe. Brooke looked blankly at the magazine and then at her feet. She smiled at one of the biggest perks of being a fashion designer, shoes. She tilted her left ankle to get a good view of the stunning pick-me-up she bought that afternoon. **

"**Millicent, that all sounds absolutely amazing but I need some space so you can lay that on my desk and I'll make sure take care of it all." she said slowly never taking her eyes off her shoes. **

"**Ok! Oh and by the way some woman called from Tree Hill, she said was urgent that she speak to you. I told her you were to busy and that she should call back" she replied before turning on her heel to leave.**

**Brooke looked up and stopped her from leaving, "Wait! Did you get this woman's name?" she asked hurriedly, "Well no, but I got her number and she wants you to call her immediately." Millicent replied.**

**Brooke stuck her hand out for Millicent to give her the letter and went back to her paperwork, when she finally looked up she noticed her PA was gone and peered intently at the number scrawled across her own private stationary. Without another thought she balled it up and threw it in the trash. "Better not to rehash old choices" she murmured to herself and went back to work.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok so this chapter is longer than my first one. I like this one more too, it has a bit of a comical side to it. So far it has been completely Brooke Centric but once she gets to Tree Hill it will be more of a Brucas story. BTW I wanted Haley and Nathan to have another kid so she is two and her name is Natalie. Hope you like it and any thoughts or criticism is much wanted so R&R!**

**Chapter 2**

**Surprises At My Door**

**Brooke peered at her reflection in the mirror, she flipped her straightened light brown hair over her shoulder and made sure her outfit was perfectly together. She slashed her lipstick carefully across her lips and slipped on the black Gucci stilettos. She glanced one more time and felt guilt creep up on her, quickly Brooke pushed it down just like she did with most feelings and went down to the car waiting for her. **

**Chaos always seemed to be waiting for her the minute she walked into the office, employees scrambling to meet deadlines and wanting nothing more than to get her approval. She glanced at the newest adjustment of the magazine and walked over to it, she loved the sound her heels made on the clean, clear floor it sounded like authority which was exactly what she was. **

"**What do we have here?" she asked quietly and waited for a response. One of the three nervous people looked up and finally answered her. **

**"We adjusted the color of the magazine and had to cut down some of the length." she answered anxiously fidgeting with her wedding band. Brooke cocked her head and took in the crisp modern look of the magazine before making her comment **

**"If that model doesn't gain 10 lbs in the next week find me a new one, we don't support anorexia as a fashion statements, that's disgusting." she said firmly and walked into her office. **

**She sat down and found the crumpled note that she had thrown away, she turned it over and found Millicent's handwriting across the back, **_**I thought you should reconsider. **_**She sighed and picked up the phone, biting her bottom lip she dialed the number and cursed Millicent for once again being right. **

**"Hello?" a clear voice answered on the other end, Brooke chewed her lip and tasted her lipstick before responding.**

** "Hi, this is Brooke Davis I believe you've called my office? What can I help you with?" she answered briskly. **

**"Brooke? Oh thank god! Finally I've gotten through, don't you remember me? It's Karen Roe." she answered excitedly. ****Brooke felt the familiar longing of being home in the pit of her stomach and pushed it aside. **

**"Karen hi, how can I help you?" she replied slowly. "Brooke, did you get the letter I sent you?" she asked quietly. Brooke thought back quickly trying to remember any mail she got from Tree Hill. **

**"Listen, I usually don't go through my own mail so Millicent might have thought it to be junk or something and thrown it out." she said hurriedly. She could practically see Karen nod through the phone. **

**"I really don't know how to say this other than to just come out and say it. Nathan and Haley are dead." she said softly. Brooke drew in her breath and felt dizzy. "When?" she heard herself ask. **

"**About four months ago." the answer made her stumble into her chair, she felt her eyes blur with tears and a pain in her chest that made it hard to breath. **

**"Why didn't anyone call me?" she asked softly and waited for Karen's response. **

**"Lucas called right after they died, but you were in London for a show. I guess you never heard about their death." she said simply **

**"Oh my god. How? What about the kids? Are they okay?" her voice sounded faint and unlike herself. **

**"A car crash. Neither James or Natalie were there. Other than the fact that they miss there parents their okay." her voice cracked slightly as she spoke.**

"**Thank you Karen, for telling me. Make sure to tell everyone their in my thoughts, okay?" Brooke finally said and started to hang up when Karen stopped her. **

**"Wait! Brooke there's something else you should know. In the will Nathan and Haley named you as one of the guardians and since Lucas is in France right now, you have to take care of them." Brooke felt her entire perfectly sculpted and tightly bound world come crashing down. **

**She felt heat rise up into her neck and cheeks and crashed the phone into it's cradle. Brooke buried her head into her arms and tried to control all the emotions that were piercing through her veins. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Screw it, that yoga quack made her almost pass out the first time she did the "breathing routine". Slowly she calmed herself down and dialed the number she practically knew by heart, her lawyers. **

"**What do you mean I have to go down there! Do you realize I am running a huge company? Do the words B. Davis Inc. mean nothing to you! I cannot go back to that town and take care of two runny nosed kids! I just can't do it. I really don't care what the "will" says, I'm not doing it absolutely not!" Brooke said into the phone, she was hyperventilating again and even the 2****nd**** espresso Millicent and brought her was not helping her. **

**She angrily hung up the phone and called Millicent in. "I need two tickets to Tree Hill for tomorrow morning, reserve the finest hotel and make sure no paparazzi get hold of this. Got it?" she said through gritted teeth and brought the cool ice pack to her flushed cheeks. **

_**Bastards **_**she mumbled to herself and walked out the door for a smoke, today seemed like an okay day to smoke. Her pounding headache only escalated when she realized in the next 24 hours her life as the newest big designer would mean nothing when she had to deal with two kids she knew absolutely nothing about. She stood outside letting the cold wind nip at her skin before walking into the building of total chaos.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So here is Chapter 3, it's a little shorter than I wanted it to be but I think it gets the point across. I was going to have her meet the kids in this chapter but nothing I wrote sounded right. So hopefully the next chapter it will all just flow and seem nice enough, ya know? Make sure to tell me if you like it or not! Thanx peoples! mwa **

**Chapter 3 **

**Come Home With Me**

**Brooke opened her eyes and sighed when she realized it wasn't a dream, she wasn't laying in bed with some extremely hot Italian model, she was sleeping uncomfortably on a plane next to her assistant. She glared at Millicent's sleeping form and had an urge to scream into her ear. She bit her tongue and walked stiffly into the bathroom. She grimaced when she saw her appearance, her face was flushed yet still managed to look pale and rather green, her hair looked rather frizzy and would be confined to a ponytail. She swiped her eyelashes quickly with mascara and applied her lipstick to her lips. She glared one more time at her reflection before going back to her seat. **

**Brooke looked down at her sleeping assistant who was now lounging in **_**her seat**_**, she leaned down and pinched her arm, "Ow!" she yelped and looked up at Brooke. "Your in my spot." Brooke said firmly and took her seat. **

"**Aren't you the least bit excited to be going to your hometown?" Millicent asked rubbing her eyes. Brooke shot her a look and answered**

** "No, and I wouldn't have to be going if it wasn't for you." Millicent glanced over at her,**** "I just thought there was a reason they called you and obviously there was. So really I didn't do a bad thing." she replied fidgeting slightly under Brooke's gaze. **

**"I should be in New York still fast asleep underneath a gorgeous model's arm. But no I'm on a plane that smells like Styrofoam with my assistant who got me into this mess. By the way, I like you a lot better when your all perky and getting my double espresso extra foam latte, which I want as soon as this plane lands." Brooke said, her voice was cold and calm yet her face was far from it. **

**"I was supposed to be going home for the weekend to see my baby brother get married! I don't know anyone in Tree hill." Millicent exclaimed and quickly lowered her voice when Brooke's eyes shot daggers at her. **

**"Well not everyone gets what they want, now do they?" Brooke asked before pulling her eye mask on signaling the end of their conversation. She heard Millicent huff and flop back into her seat.**

_**Welcome To Tree Hill**_**, "Welcome my ass" Brooke mumbled as they passed the grinning flight attendant. She walked over to the luggage pick up and grabbed her three Lois Vuitton bags, the rest of her stuff was being shipped over. She fished threw her bag until she found the rental car keys they had been supplied and went to find it. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Millicent struggling with her two suitcases. Brooke sighed, beckoned a guy over gave him a 20 and pointed to Millicent. He grabbed her bags and she flashed Brooke a smile. Brooke smiled happily at the Jaguar convertible she had reserved and put her things in the trunk. Millicent walked over to the car after all of her things were put in the car and handed Brooke her Double Espresso Extra Foam latte and slipped into the car.**

** "Like I said Millicent I like you so much more when you get me coffee." Brooke said smugly and sped out of the ramp.**

**Brooke pulled up to the house she had spent so much time at, she had once even lived there with **_**him**_**. She pushed her Prada glasses to the top of her head and stepped out of the car. Millicent followed closely behind checking in for the 5****th**** time at the office, Brooke heard small tidbits of the conversation, **

**"No that won't do…My head is on the line….She said 10 lbs or no go…Toodles!" she rolled her eyes and rang the door bell. **

**Brooke heard the distant sound of running, before she had the time to run back to the safety of the car she saw the door swing open. **

**"Brooke!" Karen said softly before pulling her into a awkward hug. Brooke felt trapped and miserable and no one could do anything to help her.**


	4. Author's Note

**To my readers:**

**Yes it is kind of the point for her to be a bitch. Since she left Tree Hill she had barely spoken to Haley or Nathan and hasn't spoke to Lucas since her last day in Tree Hill. She is supposed to seem closed off and rather cold. So if you are getting that vibe than I'm getting my point across. I do want the kids and Lucas change her a bit though.**

**Sincerly,**

**Halla**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So this takes place a few weeks after Brooke came to Tree Hill. You'll hopefully notice a bit of the attitude adjustment. I like bitchy Brooke but she has to have a heart. At this point I'm not sure when I want to add Lucas to the story but it will hopefully be soon. I like putting Brooke out of her element and this is certainly not her thing, at least not in my story. BTW I wasn't sure how to write a two year old talking but whatever!**

**Life As We Know It**

**Chapter 3**

**Brooke buried her head back into the pillow before sitting up slightly. She looked at the small girl sitting on top of her and sighed. She finally looked at the small child sitting on her lap. Brooke caught sight of the sniffling nose and tearful eyes. **

"**What's wrong Natalie?" she asked tiredly brushing a lock of brown hair behind the girl's ear. **

"**Where's mama?" she cried and climbed over to Brooke. A pang of sadness filled Brooke's chest and she for the first time since she had suddenly became a live-in babysitter took the little girl into her arms and hugged her. **

"**She's in a better place." she whispered into her ear, Natalie twisted around to see Brooke and wrapped her fingers around a strand of hair. **

"**Is she coming back?" Natalie asked. Brooke looked at the small round face looking up at her and shook her head slightly before pecking her cheek. **

"**I'm sorry Natalie, but you know what I have? I have pictures you can look at any time you miss mama or daddy." Brooke replied as she slowly adjusted her body in a more comfortable position. Brooke picked the girl up and rummaged through her boxes of things freshly shipped from New York for the shoe box of pictures. She plopped back on the bed and pulled the little girl over to her. **

**She picked up a picture of Brooke and Haley making faces at the camera. She assumed Nathan had taken the picture by the kiss Haley was blowing. The little girl chuckled and pointed to her mother fondly.**

"**Oh mommy!" she squealed and took the picture. Brooke grabbed the picture of a newborn Jamie in Haley's tired arms. **

"**Where am I Auntie Brooke? Why aren't I an itty baby?" she asked her lower lip trembling. Brooke fished through the box where Haley had sent her a picture of a small Natalie. She found it and passed it to the girl. **

"**That's me? I was small like Jamie!" she exclaimed in her small voice, without warning she climbed back into Brooke's lap and pressed her wet nose to her cheek. Brooke stiffened and wrinkled her nose at the bazillion germs on her face. **

"**Auntie Brooke? Can we go to Grandma Karen's for breakfast today?" she asked sweetly wiping the tears from her cheeks. **

"**I think we can do that but first I gotta get ready okay." Brooke responded as she plucked the little girl off her lap and wiped her cheek on the bed sheet. **

**Two hours, thirty minutes and twenty-two seconds later they finally walked into Karen's Café. She glared at the sympathetic smile from Karen and tried to come up with a plan to convince Natalie never ever to wear neon yellow stockings with green. The thought of the two colors made her stomach turn which then reminded her how starving she was. **

_**Stay focused, Brooke. **_**she thought and pushed her bangs out of her face as she pulled the kids away from the gumball machine and towards a booth. Jamie gave her a wide grin and put his palms up, his way of trying to act innocent. Brooke raised a perfectly plucked, now grown out a little too much eyebrow and went back to chattering with Natalie about puppy dogs and chocolate. She kicked herself for ordering the pancakes instead of fruit and simply pushed them around on her plate as Jamie grumbled about oatmeal.**

"**Auntie Brooke? Can I have your 'cakes? You can have my oatmeal." Jamie asked her innocently. She glanced down at the untouched oatmeal and untouched pancakes and quickly traded the two. He grinned and stuck his tongue out at his baby sister who in turn started to cry.**

"**No, Natalie look at me! That's a big girl and big girls don't cry, do they?" she said urgently shaking her head. One thing Brooke could not do was deal with a screaming little girl. Jamie chuckled and shoveled more food in his mouth. Natalie sniffled and nodded before wiping the back of her hand against her nose. She grimaced at the disgusting habit and poked at her food. **

**She glanced up and saw Karen raise an eyebrow at her, Brooke grumbled and shoveled a spoonful of the content into her mouth and downed it with the black coffee. **

**Brooke looked at the girl who fiddled with the loose button and made her mind up they were going shopping, the pure blue basketball jersey that was starting to fade from it's everyday use. She saw the pancakes were turning to mush and decided that this was as good as any to get the hell out for the day. She put the money on the table and picked the little girl up and made sure her face was away from Brooke's before slowly walking out the door.**

"**Auntie Brooke, can I have popcorn?" the little boy asked as he pulled on her sleeve, she glanced at him from over her sunglasses and nodded as he ran off to get some from the vender. She gave him a small smile when he came back but inwardly grimaced at the glinting grease on the substance. They were in a huge need of healthier food. **

**Brooke watched the sunset, off the backyard and noted that the last time she had watched one from beginning to end had been with Lucas, she smiled at the memory and pulled the little girl onto her lap. **

**She was a mini Haley, it was ironic, she thought that she had hardly thought of her old friends. She hadn't even really cried for them, more for herself if she had. The last few weeks had been one long living nightmare. Brooke looked down at the small child and tickled her cheek, she giggled and squirmed from her grasp. **

**Brooke looked down at her lap and saw that the girl had fallen asleep in the middle of her adventure to run after her brother. She sighed and picked her up, throwing her over her shoulder and pulling the dirty boy with her. Just like every night before Brooke bathed them both, tucked them into there beds and sat with them till they slept. And just like every other night she allowed herself to curl up on the couch which now smelled like a type of curry and drift off to sleep. The sides of her mouth turned up slightly as she fell asleep, it was crazy to think that Brooke Davis was falling in love with the two little children.**

**A/N: OMG I finally did it! I updated this story! Yay for me, now be nice and review with some comments! Lol, 'kay?**


End file.
